Broncos CB Kris Abrams-Draine, Lions’ defensive position stepped up for his or her groups in Week 16

As any NFL season progresses, there will likely be extra unheralded gamers who stand up from humble beginnings to turn out to be components, and guys whose careers have gone sideways who in some way discover the highway again to relevance.

We wish to have fun these gamers each week in “Secret Superstars.” This week, we’ve two younger working backs who outlined wins for his or her groups, a guard taking part in deal with, a complete defensive position, and a rookie afterthought who has turn out to be a lockdown cornerback.

Chuba Hubbard, RB, Carolina Panthers

Don’t look now, however the Carolina Panthers’ offense is beginning to turn out to be a factor. Quarterback Bryce Younger’s improvement is the large story, and justifiably so – the Panthers have risen from thirty first in Passing DVOA in Weeks 1-9 to twenty first since — however we must always not overlook the efforts of working again Chuba Hubbard, the 2021 fourth-round select of Oklahoma State. 2024 marks Hubbard’s first 1,000-yard season, although he got here shut in 2023 with 902 yards in an offense that couldn’t bust a grape. Now, and particularly in opposition to the Arizona Cardinals in Sunday’s 36-30 additional time win, Hubbard is the epicenter of an offense that may credibly bust a lot harder fruit regularly.

Towards Jonathan Gannon’s protection, Hubbard ran 25 occasions for 152 yards, two touchdowns (together with the game-winner), 109 yards after contact, six pressured missed tackles, and 4 yards of 10 or extra yards. The Panthers did a very nice job of setting Hubbard up for achievement by aligning guard Chandler Zavala up as a sixth offensive lineman on a number of performs, and when the specter of two tight ends was added to the equation, the mathematics actually didn’t work for the Cardinals.

“That’s my dawg,” Younger mentioned postgame of his characteristic again. “The factor that individuals don’t see is how arduous he works all through the week. I can’t even inform you when he leaves this place. He’s consistently doing further issues, doing little issues, consistently watching movies, caring for his physique. He cares and offers a lot to this sport. On prime of the participant he’s, the individual he’s, the dedication that he has, the issues he exhibits me that nobody will get to see, that the skin public doesn’t get to see, that continues to construct on all of us and the way a lot we belief him.”

Extra persons are beginning to see the unseen issues at this price. Since Week 10, Hubbard’s 530 speeding yards ranks seventh within the league.

De’Von Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel has lengthy been often called one of many NFL’s most various and explosive offensive play-designers, and that’s nonetheless true even in a season that has been a reasonably epic disappointment for the crew. Sunday’s 29-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers put Miami at 7-8 on the season, however the further vibrant spot along with the win over Kyle Shanahan – for whom McDaniel coached from 2017 by means of 2021 – was the play of working again De’Von Achane. Put merely, this was every part the Dolphins may have hoped for from the 2023 third-rounder out of Texas A&M when he joined the crew with the pre-requisite monitor pace and gobsmacking versatility.

Miami’s quarterback conundrums with and with out Tua Tagovailoa have been a serious a part of these aforementioned disappointments, however in opposition to San Francisco’s protection, Achane blew that every one aside. He gained 120 speeding yards and scored a 50-yard landing on 17 carries, and added 70 receiving yards on six catches.

That’s the factor about Achane’s worth to the Dolphins – he’s a advantageous runner, with 761 yards and 5 touchdowns on 182 carries – however it’s as a receiver with all sorts of routes that he supplies the form of juice one may count on from a wholesome Christian McCaffrey. Maybe Achane is creating into McDaniel’s personal model of his mentor’s in the end versatile characteristic again.

Joe Thuney, LT, Kansas Metropolis Chiefs

To place it mildly, the Chiefs’ offensive deal with scenario this season has been a catastrophe. Left tackles Wanya Morris, Kingsley Suamataia, and D.J. Humphries have mixed to permit 9 sacks and 51 complete pressures, and proper deal with Jawaan Taylor (he of the four-year, $80 million contract with $60 million assured) has been a turnstile with extreme penalty points ever since he put pen to paper in 2023. There’s solely a lot Patrick Mahomes can overcome, particularly as he’s coping with ankle points led to by that lack of safety.

Going up in opposition to a Houston Texans protection with edge-rushers Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter appeared to be a horrible matchup for the defending champs, so Andy Reid and his employees made some modifications. Morris was moved to proper deal with, and star left guard Joe Thuney (among the finest within the enterprise for years) kicked out to left deal with – a place at which Thuney has seen precisely 237 snaps in his nine-year profession. 75 of these snaps got here in Week 15 in opposition to the Cleveland Browns, and in that sport, Thuney allowed 10 complete pressures in opposition to Myles Garrett and his crew. So, it appeared just like the Thuney experiment was another occasion of the Chiefs throwing it in opposition to the wall at a extremely susceptible place.

Thuney appeared quite a bit higher in opposition to Houston’s livid move rush. He gave up 4 pressures to Anderson and Hunter, and whereas he’ll in all probability by no means appear to be a textbook deal with on tape, he tailored sufficient to get the job carried out. Furthermore, the transfer to proper deal with appeared to make Morris a extra snug participant, because the third-year man performed totally on the fitting facet at Oklahoma.

“I believed Wanya did a pleasant job coming in,” Reid mentioned postgame. “I believed Joe [Thuney] did a pleasant job on the opposite facet, too – stepped in there. Wanya’s, you understand, gone again to the drafting board, labored on it and is getting higher on daily basis. I do know I say that, however each of these two younger guys [Morris and Suamataia] are going to be okay. They’ve been working like loopy to get themselves again to the place they have to be.”

Ideally, the not too long ago acquired Humphries will return with a clear invoice of well being from the hamstring harm that’s not too long ago been an issue, and Thuney can return to dominating as a left guard. And it’s not as if the Chiefs’ safety matchups get any simpler; they shut out the common season in opposition to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day, and in opposition to the Denver Broncos on January 5. However because it stands, Thuney offers his crew one possibility that isn’t a whole debacle on the skin, and that represents an improve.

The Detroit Lions’ “no-name” defensive position

David Bada. Derrick Barnes. John Cominsky. Marcus Davenport. Aidan Hutchinson. Nate Lynn. Alim McNeill. Kyle Peko. That, in alphabetical order, is the checklist of Detroit Lions defensive linemen at present on injured reserve. General, Detroit had 21 gamers on IR proper now, so it’s not precisely a secret simply how banged-up the defensive entrance is.

Nonetheless, the Lions are sporting a 13-2 report following their 34-17 Sunday win over the Chicago Bears. And whereas the Bears’ offense is unwatchable most of the time (actually, I believed Caleb Williams may need half an opportunity to flee this crew’s 75-year Quarterback Curse), however whenever you’re lacking this many guys, something you do nicely in opposition to any offense is a worthy endeavor.

On this case, it was the Replacements – the recently-acquired ZaDarius Smith, and rotational guys Josh Paschal, Levi Onwuzurike, and Patrick O’Connor – who stepped up and made the Lions’ move rush look as if it hasn’t missed a beat. Williams was pressured on 17 of his 46 dropbacks, and when pressured, he accomplished 4 of 11 passes for 46 yards and a passer score of 49.8. Smith had six pressures, and Paschal, Onwuzurike, and O’Connor every had 4.

That’s what you name teaching, children. And for these not acquainted with the “Kick Out the Jams” reference… you’re welcome.

Kyle Van Noy, EDGE, Baltimore Ravens

The 2024 Ravens appear to be a possible Tremendous Bowl champion on offense in that you need to decide which man between Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry when discussing 2024 NFL MVP candidates. The protection below first-year coordinator Zach Orr has been a distinct story, although. This unit was the NFL’s greatest in 2023 below now-Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald, however the transition was tough at first. That very same protection that clowned each opponent final season completed the primary half of the 2024 marketing campaign ranked 14th in Defensive DVOA, and twenty second in opposition to the move. That’s circled since Week 10 for a few causes. First, the transfer to make Kyle Hamilton extra of a pure free security versus a do-it-all man, and veteran Kyle Van Noy’s ascent as a pass-rusher.

Van Noy, now in his eleventh NFL season, has carried out a little bit of every part for 5 completely different groups – every part from off-ball linebacker to fit defender to edge-rusher to stand-up three-technique disruptor in nickel and dime packages. In his second season with the Ravens, Van Noy now has 11 sacks (his first 10-plus sack season), and he’s nonetheless getting it carried out from nearly in all places. In Baltimore’s pivotal 34-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers final Saturday, Van Noy had a sack and 4 complete pressures.

Not dangerous for an previous man, and as former New England Patriots teammate Tom Brady identified, actually not dangerous for a man who’s principally taking part in with a damaged face.

“[I’m] simply grateful for the blokes which have been within the locker room and [pass rush coach] Chuck Smith, [assistant defensive line coach/outside linebackers] Matt [Robinson] and Coach [John] Harbaugh [for] simply permitting me to be me right here, and it’s been enjoyable,” Van Noy mentioned after the win over the Steelers. “I’ve put in numerous arduous work. Lots of people wrote me off final yr, and I imagine I’m taking part in at a Professional Bowl stage. So, the entire voters on the market, vote to your boy.”

It’s not a foul thought, actually.

Kris Abrams-Draine, CB, Denver Broncos

The 2024 Broncos are 9-6 and competing for a wild card playoff spot, which might signify the franchise’s first postseason look since its Tremendous Bowl 50 win on the finish of the 2015 season. It’s a substantial uptick over 2023’s 8-9 debacle in Sean Payton’s first season as head coach, which was led by the dangerous match that Russell Wilson was, and a protection that was among the many worst in NFL historical past early within the season.

Issues are typically extra in tune on the quarterback place with rookie Bo Nix, and the protection has been an absolute revelation. The Broncos have been one of the crucial blitzy defenses, and this has allowed them to get a ton of efficient stress. And the addition of second-year cornerback Riley Moss as a real starter has given Patrick Surtain II the bookend he has wanted.

However when Moss went out in Week 12 in opposition to the Las Vegas Raiders with an MCL harm. That spelled bother. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph and defensive backs coach/passing sport coordinator Jim Leonhard weren’t fearful about it, as a result of they knew what fifth-round rookie Kris Abrams-Draine needed to supply. Solely they might know, nonetheless, as a result of Abrams-Draine didn’t play a single snap on protection till the 11 he put up at outdoors cornerback in opposition to the Cleveland Browns in Week 13. The coaches favored what they noticed sufficient to provide Abrams-Draine beginning reps in Week 15 in opposition to the Indianapolis Colts after the crew’s Week 14 bye, and as soon as once more final Thursday in opposition to the Los Angeles Chargers

In his three NFL video games, Abrams-Draine has allowed 5 catches on 15 targets for 74 yards, 24 yards after the catch, no touchdowns, one interceptions, two move breakups, and an opponent passer score of twenty-two.6. For a 5-foot-11, 178-pound rookie to return in and play outdoors cornerback at this stage with no earlier skilled expertise is kind of uncommon.

The Broncos misplaced that Chargers sport 34-27, however it definitely wasn’t Abrams-Draine’s fault. He was focused 4 occasions on vertical passes and fast comebacks, and he gave up one catch for sis yards. He additionally bagged his first NFL interception on a deep submit from Justin Herbert to receiver Josh Palmer.

“I really feel like I belong, however actually, it was simply enjoyable to be on the sector taking part in with my teammates,” Abrams-Draine mentioned after his first profession begin in opposition to the Colts.

Nicely, it’s enjoyable when you possibly can come into the NFL as a lockdown man out of nowhere, and that’s precisely what Abrams-Draine has carried out.